Advanced Person-Centred Practice Development

With Jane Johnson and Frances McDonnell

The aim of this weekend is to focus on the further development of Person-Centred counselling attitudes. We will observe a live counselling session, look at the theory do some counselling practice and more…… through an experiential and reflective process participants will have the opportunity to further nurture their therapeutic practice.

Who is this for? This a two day workshop is for qualified counsellors with a working knowledge of person centred theory. As counsellors, we are seldom required to relate theory to practice on a regular basis or have the chance to receive feedback on our skills. Over the two days we will draw on personal and professional experience to explore the concepts of person centred theory. This may include:

In Rogers(1957) observations about his work he suggests that there are six conditions necessary and sufficient for the organism to actualise. What are the implications of this for practice?,

What do you understand as the central principles of Person centred practice, the actualising tendency (Rogers 1963)

What do you know about the nineteen propositions (Rogers)? and the configurations of self (Mearns and Thorne 2007).

What aspects of person centred theory do you find the easiest or most challenging to accept?

How much do you consider theory in your practice?

We will intersperse the discussion with work in triads, thus giving the opportunity to receive feedback on your skills from other qualified counsellors, as well as providing more material to add depth to the discussion of theory.

We can also use aspects of interpersonal recall (IPR) (Kagen 1997), to increase the understanding of your own process as a counsellor.

In this experiential workshop we aim to provide a space to explore the subject and hope you will feel comfortable to participate openly in the discussions and skills sessions over the two days. We are not going to tell you what is ‘correct’ person-centred practice,but offer a space to explore the subject, and the freedom to draw your own learning from it.

Possible timetable for workshop

Day 1: What do we think are the central principals of PC practice?

Discussion – differences in understanding, doubts, questioning

Triads/ giving and receiving feedback.

Discussion

Relating theory to practice. What has the practice thrown up about theory? Questioning. Dilemmas

Day 2

Follow up from day 1 – What needs exploring/clarifying about theory?

IPR. Work in triads / consider yesterday’s session? More triad work and/or discussion

Dates: 23/24thMarch 2019

Costs: £130 (full wage) £110(part wage)

Lunch: This includes my home-made organic vegetable soup and fresh bread for lunch on Saturday

About Jane: Jane has been counselling for 19 years and, for the last 15 years, has been training counsellors from introductory to Masters level. Much of her teaching experience has been at Keele University on BACP accredited programmes. Alongside the training, she has worked as a counsellor and counselling supervisor in various settings including private practice, primary care and the voluntary sector; working with individuals, couples and groups.Understanding the theory that underpins what counsellors do and why they do it, is essential to Jane. Without that understanding, we cannot explain the process of counselling to clients, colleagues or even to ourselves. Nor can we examine how effectively we are working and how we might improve on that. For her, at the heart of person centred practice is the quality of the therapeutic relationship. She sees a vital aspect of being a practitioner is the ongoing exploration of what might be getting in the way of connecting at a deep level, with self and others.